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Reviews for DVD Releases

A Perfect Getaway
Jack Rico
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2009/12/29 at 12:00am

DVD ReviewsReviews

A Perfect Getaway

12.29.2009 | By |

Rating: 2.5

Rated: R for graphic violence, language including sexual references and some drug use.
Release Date: 2009-08-07
Starring: David Twohy
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.iamrogue.com/aperfectgetaway/

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‘A Perfect Getaway’ is one of the most predictable ‘whodunnit’ thriller films of 2009. Because of this, the second half of the film isn’t as enjoyable since we already know who the killers are. Nevertheless, it is fun, but I wish writer/director David Twohy (Pitch Black) would have made it a bit more difficult for us to decipher. The complexity of figuring out who the assassins are is what makes these types of films entertaining (i.e; Memento).

The storyline is engaging. A Hawaiian honeymoon turns dangerous for two lovers (Steve Zahn and Milla Jovovich) when they discover they are being stalked by a pair of killers: Nick (Timonthy Olyphant) and Gina (Kiele Sanchez) are unmarried adventurers looking for one more destination to add to their globe-trotting resume. And Kale (Chris Hemsworth) and Cleo (Marley Shelton) are surfer/hippie types who show signs of anti-social behavior. But who could it be? (Cue the horror music).

This film begins in an amusing fashion with plenty of character development allowing the audience to attach themselves to the protagonists. This is a clever move by the director since it is a known “rule” that audiences like characters who they know well, but it backfires because Twohy tries so hard to surprise everyone that he ends up surprising no one. There is a ‘twist’ that occurs in the middle of the movie that is so expected, it makes you feel like one’s intelligence has been questioned.

I’ve never been a fan of Timothy Olyphant’s acting (‘Hitman’ was the beginning of the end for me), but it wasn’t a distraction this time around. He did a descent job as did the rest of the cast. Kiele Sanchez, the Puerto Rican actress, was a pleasing screen delight, and Zahn casted a shadow of agitation throughout the film.

All around, ‘A Perfect Getaway’ is a silly, fun time at the movies that won’t leave you bored, just expect to figure out everything out very soon and to see some dumb moments that’ll leave you scratching your head.

Jennifer’s Body
Jack Rico
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By

2009/12/29 at 12:00am

DVD ReviewsReviews

Jennifer’s Body

12.29.2009 | By |

Rating: 2.5

Rated: R for sexuality, bloody violence, language and brief drug use.
Release Date: 2009-09-18
Starring: Diablo Cody
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.jennifersbody.com/

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‘Jennifer’s Body’ is a failure on so many levels: as a horror film, a comedy and its acting, but it does manage to be a good teen film due to Diablo Cody’s authentic and irreverent script and dialogue. It is so sumptuous that I haven’t been this excited to HEAR just dialogue since her first work in ‘Juno.’

The premise is simple yet loses its path many a times. When small-town high school hottie Jennifer (Megan Fox) is possessed by a hungry demon, guys who never stood a chance with her, take on new luster in the light of Jennifer’s insatiable appetite.

Oscar award winning screenwriter Diablo Cody is a teenager trapped in a woman’s body. Her uncanny way to capture and tap into the teen angst of today is an onerous task that she pulls off effortlessly… once again. Nevertheless, there is no excuse for some of the tawdry moments the movie provides. Its pacing, in particular, lacks a natural rhythm, the acting is descent at best and Megan just doesn’t bring it; she’s not good enough to carry the movie. The film overall struggles with a sense of identity. It doesn’t know whether it wants to be campy or a little less flamboyant, but it never finds the right balance. It’s never truly scary or funny. If you’re going to see the film in theaters just to get off on Megan Fox, there are other ways to do it, such as waiting for it on DVD in 4 months

Watch out for the lesbo scene, it might just shock the horror from you.

9
Jack Rico
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By

2009/12/29 at 12:00am

DVD ReviewsReviews

9

12.29.2009 | By |

Rating: 3.5

Rated: PG-13 for violence and scary images.
Release Date: 2009-09-09
Starring: Shane Acker, Pamela Pettler
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:UK, USA
Official Website: http://9themovie.com/splash/

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‘9’ is an enjoyable, engrossing piece of cinema that will envelope you with its innovative animation, dark yet thought provoking storyline and compelling voice performances. Think of Wall-E meets Terminator Salvation. Its only flaw is that it lacks some depth, but it’s redeemed by the absorbing action sequences. Just WOW. With a slight running time of 80 minutes, ‘9’ does the trick for this post Labor Day weekend.

The film takes place in a world parallel to our own, in which the very legacy of humanity is threatened. A group of sapient rag dolls, living a post-apocalyptic existence find one of their own, 9 (Elijah Wood), who displays leadership qualities that may help them to survive.

The director is Shane Acker, who is making his feature debut. 9 is an expansion of his 2005 Oscar-nominated animated short of the same name. With Tim Burton and Tim Bekmambetov (Wanted) on board, getting A-list voice actors was not a problem. Of all the major stars – Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, John C. Reilly, Martin Landau – only Christopher Plummer is immediately recognizable. The rest manage the critical component of effective anonymity, which can be important in an animated film lest the image of the actor overwhelm the character to which voice is being given.

For those looking for something different, new, mentally stimulating and a bit dark and sinister, ‘9’ offers all the Tim Burton traits without the hype.

District 9
Jack Rico
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By

2009/12/21 at 12:00am

DVD ReviewsReviews

District 9

12.21.2009 | By |

Rating: 4.0

Rated: R for bloody violence and pervasive language.
Release Date: 2009-08-14
Starring: Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:USA, South Africa
Official Website: http://www.d-9.com/

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‘District 9’ is the must-see summer film of 2009! It is really two films in one – a thought-provoking political and social documentary combined with stylized action packed CG film with all the bells and whistles. The direction of the film allows the story to rise to a crescendo at the very end satisfying even the non sci-fi cinephiles.

This is a smart film like those who too infrequently visit our multiplexes. The premise is a bit intricate since it deals with various social layers such as racism, bigotry, immigration, corruption, but with a quirky and entertaining twist. An extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions on District 9 in South Africa, suddenly find a kindred spirit in a government agent that is exposed to their biotechnology. To reveal anymore would be to give away the movie.

What is wonderful about the movie is how director Neil Blomkamp manages to intertwine several genres with success: off-beat comedy, drama and sci-fi action. His use of handheld cameras at the start build an eery tension that gives out a vibe that what you’re watching is factual. Not bad for a fictional movie.

The acting is solely centered around the character Wilkus Van De Merwe (Sharlto Copley), a klutzy man who works for the South African government and whose job it is to lead the aliens to a new location. His first day in this position ends with him in the hospital, having been contaminated by an alien fluid – and that’s where his personal nightmare begins.

Peter Jackson, director of Lord of the Rings, produced the movie, adding an internationally revered name to the credits that will doubtless help in marketing. District 9 speaks with a loud, clear voice and by defying as many science fiction conventions as it embraces, it becomes a singular movie-going experience. For fans of the genre, the summer of 2009 will be remembered by the films ‘Moon’ and ‘District 9’.

Extract
Jack Rico
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By

2009/12/21 at 12:00am

DVD ReviewsReviews

Extract

12.21.2009 | By |

Rating: 2.5

Rated: R for language, sexual references and some drug use.
Release Date: 2009-09-04
Starring: Mike Judge
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.extract-the-movie.com/

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All About Steve
Jack Rico
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By

2009/12/21 at 12:00am

DVD ReviewsReviews

All About Steve

12.21.2009 | By |

Rating: 1.0

Rated: PG-13 for sexual content including innuendos.
Release Date: 2009-09-04
Starring: Kim Barker
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.allaboutstevemovie.com/

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‘All About Steve’ has got to be one of the worst movies of the year and the worst one of Sandra Bullock’s career. To add insult to injury, she also produced it. Double slap. This comedy’s intention is to be funny, but it manages to have an adverse effect – that of vexation and aggravation. This vapid and insipid story never manages to engage the attention and is a waste of a good cast.

The premise is just awful and unoriginal. After Mary Horowitz (Sandra Bullock) has one date with a CCN cameraman (Bradley Cooper), the brilliant crossword-puzzle constructor decides the hunk is her true love. While she alienates him by trailing him all over the country, she falls in with a crew of misfits who appreciate her eccentric nature.

If any of you happened to see ‘The Proposal’, you could see Bullock in a much better light and a much better comedy. That film was #1 at the box office in its initial release. So what happened here?  A case of the ‘bad script’. Nothing or no one can escape that “disease”. ‘All About Steve’ is a train wreck from the very beginning and you should not be anywhere near it.

Extract
Namreta Kumar
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By

2009/12/20 at 12:00am

DVD ReviewsReviews

Extract

12.20.2009 | By |

Rating: 2.5

Rated: R for language, sexual references and some drug use.
Release Date: 2009-09-04
Starring: Mike Judge
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.extract-the-movie.com/

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When you leave this film the first thing that you recall is that it was a comedy; beyond that the characters were peculiarly familiar, and then even the comedy becomes textbook.

Overall this comedy rings through the characters, but unlike “Office Space” this film brings nothing novel to cinema. “Extract” pulls from Mike Judge’s all too familiar space and creates a new score of characters we can all say we have met before.

Jason Bateman plays the “Extract King,” Joel, in this blue-collar comedy that is all about its ensemble of characters and the trouble they brew. From the incorrigible best friend Dean, played by Ben Affleck, down to the gnawing neighbor Nathan, played by David Koechner, each character is a satire all on their own and the film benefits most from the casts’ unison. However, that is about where the fun ends. As one gets to know the little pieces that each character plays the film becomes a little too predictable and even the characters lose their familiar charms.

As the film progresses, the little doses of rolling laughter almost feel typical rather than being synonymous to the anecdotes they all seem to have been created from. The audience may feel swept away for bits as the cast does a great job portraying their little world, however as the film closes there is not much that resonates. The story comes full circle as the satire thins out and the final credits roll in the last little stunts.

Extract can benefit from its release date as summer winds-down and some people look forward to an unassuming film to wind-down with; but this Judge film, much like its predecessor, will more likely find its place in the cable and DVD market.

Inglourious Basterds
Jack Rico
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By

2009/12/15 at 12:00am

DVD ReviewsReviews

Inglourious Basterds

12.15.2009 | By |

Rating: 4.0

Rated: R for strong graphic violence, language and brief sexuality.
Release Date: 2009-08-21
Starring: Quentin Tarantino
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:Germany, USA
Official Website: http://weinsteinco.com/#/film/inglourious/

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‘Inglorious Basterds’ is a collection of brilliantly crafted scenes that are routinely interrupted by Quentin Tarantino‘s ego. Worried that we might forget who is directing, he reminds us that this isn’t any old World War II movie. The film could have been one of the great works of movie cinema this decade if it wasn’t for his compulsion for attention rather than concentrating in the craft at hand and the audience viewing it.

In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as “The Basterds” (Brad Pitt, Eli Roth, Til Schweiger) are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis. The Basterds soon cross paths with a French-Jewish teenage girl (Mélanie Laurent) who now runs a movie theater in Paris which is targeted by the soldiers.

Don’t expect to see Kill Bill. This is the new evolution of Tarantino, a director who is absolutely grown in every way, except as a storyteller. The film is putatively about Nazi killers in the Second World War, but it is really about the love of cinema, Tarantino’s love of cinema. ‘Can it be?’, you might ask. That’s what I said when the movie ended. The constant reiteration of dialogue in homage to the French and German classics is unavoidable, and regrettably, it fractures the pace of the film in order to illustrate it. So as the audience, we get taken for a switch and bait. The crazy thing is that it is a delightful switch and bait. Expect to see a beautiful and meticulous visual cinematic experience with one Oscar award winning performance from Christoph Waltz as Col. Hans Landa and perhaps Ms. Laurent’s.

The opening scene is riveting and one of the more memorable sequences Tarantino has ever put on celluloid, rivaling that of Pulp Fiction. It’s elegant and sophisticated, tense and engrossing, but at times, the film slips and doesn’t find its way such as some of its miscasting efforts and its bathetic ending. We are witnesses to a movie and a director trying to find themselves as it unfolds. Not very admirable, but interesting nonetheless.

What you’ll like about ‘Inglorious Basterds’ is its story concept, artistic cinematography, Tarantino’s directorial tone and mood and Waltz’s mesmerizing and petrifying performance. What you won’t like is that you paid to see a movie that isn’t about Brad Pitt killing scores of Nazis, but more about the romanticism of world film and Tarantino’s place in it. Go figure.

The Hangover
Jack Rico
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By

2009/12/15 at 12:00am

DVD ReviewsReviews

The Hangover

12.15.2009 | By |

Rating: 4.0

Rated: R for pervasive language, sexual content including nudity, and some drug material.
Release Date: 2009-06-05
Starring: Jon Lucas, Scott Moore
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:USA
Official Website: http://hangovermovie.warnerbros.com/

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‘The Hangover’ is the type of comedy I like. Slightly in your face, but never pushing the envelope past the point of no return (i.e; Observe and Report). It’s this year’s Pineapple Express. But the best thing about this film is the plotline. Absolutely fantastic! It’s really hard to find stories interesting enough to perk up your senses in today’s Hollywood.

Two days before his wedding, Doug (Justin Bartha) and his three friends (Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis) drive to Las Vegas for a blow-out bachelor party they’ll never forget. But, in fact, when the three groomsmen wake up the next morning, they can’t remember a thing, nor where the soon to be husband Doug is. With no clue as to what transpired and little time to spare, the trio must retrace their hazy steps, figure out what happened to Doug and get back to the weeding in time before anyone suspects what happened.

There are moments when the story drags a bit in the middle, but all worth disregarding due to the compelling and amusing story. So how was the acting? Terrific. Zach Galifianakis, the bearded fellow, was such an annoying puss that he really managed to get under my skin. Cooper was just a rock star and after this film, he’ll no doubt be leading man material in his next project.

This is perhaps the most entertaining film of the year. I enjoyed it and so will you!

The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard
Jack Rico
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By

2009/12/15 at 12:00am

DVD ReviewsReviews

The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard

12.15.2009 | By |

Rating: 2.5

Rated: R for sexual content, nudity, pervasive language and some drug material.
Release Date: 2009-08-14
Starring: Neal Brennan
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.livehardsellhard.com/

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‘The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard’ is really funny, whoever tells you otherwise is probably as cold as an ice bucket. The opening scene should tell you everything. I laughed in the first ten seconds, really hard! It’s the second half that withers away, the story line weakens and the jokes start becoming repetitive and dull. Overall though, the film still manages to entertain and engage you enough so as to not feel like you wasted your money at the box office.

A legendary car salesman, Don Ready (Jeremy Piven) whose job it is to save a car dealership in the town of Temecula, California from bankruptcy. What Don doesn’t expect is to fall in love and find his soulmate, which will eventually be a deterrent to achieving his goals.

The characters here are great, the dialogue is fast and yes, vulgar, and the fact that it all takes place in car dealership is cheap and amusing already. Piven brings his Ari Gold persona to the mix and if you like him in Entourage, you won’t mind him here. The only real flaw with the film is in the execution of the storyline in the second half. It falters with an inane romantic story that should’ve never taken off.

Think the Will Farrell films, if you have laughed hard at those you won’t have a problem in laughing your a$$ off on this one.

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